Duck Sports Authority kicks off its pre-Spring coverage with a look at the 2008 units and how they stacked up against each other. Coming in at #8 in the 2008 ranking was Oregon's youngest group: Linebackers.[details]

2005 (Freshman): Continued to develop and make his impact in scout team play. Looks to be a serious contender for the open SS job come 2006. Finally starting to fill out his frame, he has added around 30 pounds of muscle and is ready to hit the field.

2004 (Redshirt): Cited as defensive scout team player of the week for aiding preparations leading into games vs. Indiana, Washington State and Stanford during redshirt season.

2003 (Redshirt):HIGH SCHOOL ó The PrepStar All-American was rated among the top 40 prep prospects in California by SuperPrep magazine as well as one of the best 10 defensive backs. Also endorsed as the sixth-best high school safety in the country by Rivals.com. Garnered first-team all-Coliseum League accolades and votes on the Long Beach Press-Telegramís Best in the West elite listing after accumulating 115 tackles his senior season. Earned first-team all-state, all-city and all-area acclaim for the Dons, who claimed the 2003 league championship with a 12-1 ledger.

OREGON - Came into program as a raw talent and emerged as one of the most pleasant surprises of the spring. Converted from free safety to linebacker, which may be more conducive to his physical attributes. Encountered great improvement during off-season conditioning workouts and able to convert progress onto the field in the spring as the position's most improved. Added approximately 17 lbs. to his frame since his redshirt freshman year and bettered squat (395 lbs.) and bench press pinnacles (355 lbs.) by 75 and 40 pounds, respectively, while improving electronic 40 speed to 4.55 as program's fastest linebacker on record. Has made the greatest improvement in his game with his open-field tackling. Already establishing himself as a valuable special teams component, could find himself in the midst of the battle for a starting role at outside linebacker should he continue the same level of growth and maturity over the summer.